Device for sorting veneer



z- 5, 1958 J. w. NORWOOD 2,846,086

DEVICE FOR sORTING VENEER Filed oct. 25, 1956 a Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JOH N \J. NORWOOD Aug. 5, 1958 J. w. NORWOOD mzvzcs FOR SORTING VENEER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 om mm Filed Oct mm mm v INVENTOR.

JOHN \J. NORWOOD ATTO R N EY6 Aug. 5, 1958 J. w; NORWOOD DEVICE FOR SORTING VENEER s Sheta-Sheet s Filed Obt. '25, 1956 F '1 E I INVENTOR. JOHN \ALNORWOOD 'ATTO R NEYS it e w a; fi Qiii'tdr htates DEVICE FQR SURTENG VENEER John W. Norwood, Cottage Grove, Oreg.

Application (lctober 25, 1956, Serial No. 618,347

2 Claims. (Cl. 214--6) The present invention relates to devices for sorting veneer and more particularly to such devices which are adapted for the sorting of veneer used in the manufacurting of plywood.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a veneer sorter including a series of veneer receiving bins located parallel to veneer carrying conveyors, the bins receiving selected grades of plywood from the conveyor belts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a veneer sorter in which bins have movable bottoms that receive the veneer and in which the bottoms are movable together with their load of veneer beyond and clear of the bins so that lift trucks can remove the stack of graded veneer, the trucks delivering the same to its destination.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view, taken on line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional View taken on line 55 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated.

Figure 6 isa diagrammatical layout of the airoperated cylinder and valves and the electric circuit.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatical view similar to Figure 6 with the control valves in the opposite position.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference character C indicates generally a conventional conveyor for moving the various grades of plywood past a series of receiving bins B. There may be as many of the receiving bins B as there are grades of plywood to be sorted.

The conveyor C includes the usual supporting framework 10, having rollers 11 and belts 12 operating on the rollers 11. The belts 12 are driven by a source of power not here shown, and are adapted to move the sheets of veneer V along the conveyor C.

Adjacent the conveyor C are the receiving bins 13, having veneer receiving and feeding rollers 13 journalled to the side walls 14 of the bins B and driven constantly by a source of power (not here shown). A transverse end wall 15 is fixedly mounted between the side walls 14 of the bin B and adjacent the rollers 13 within each bin. The upper edge of the walls 15 have a sloping surface 16, as seen in Figure 2, for directing the veneer V on to the movable bottoms M, as illustrated in Figure 4.

The movable bottoms M consist of a platform 17 mounted upon wheels 18, the wheels 18 travel over the tracks 19 in the operation of the movable bottom M of the bin B. Channelways 2b are formed transversely of the platform 17, for reasons which will be later described. The movable bottom M has an outer end wall 21, which extends between the outer walls 14-for the bin B when the bottom M is in loading position.

The movable bottom M is moved out of the bin B to delivery position and back into the bin to receiving position by a fluid cylinder 22. The cylinder 22 is anchored to the floor F by a bracket 23. The piston rod 24 extends from the cylinder 22 and has the outer end thereof secured to the cross frame member 25 of the platform 17 at 26.

A supply line 27 for supplying fluid under pressure (preferably air) is located at a convenient location adjacent the fluid cylinders 22.

A pipe 28 extends from the pipe line 27 to a header pipe 31 which is in turn connected to electro-magnetic valves 29 and 30 associated with opposite ends of the cylinder 22.

Referring now particularly to Figure 6, the. electro-. magnetic valve 29 is a normally opened valve, while the valve 30 is a normally closed valve. The fluid pressure tending to normally hold the movable bottom M in loading position within the bin B. We will later describe the operation of these valves 29 and 30.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 5, the usual lift truck T is operated adjacent the outlet ends of the bins B. When the truck T is located in the broken line position 32, the operator pulls an overhead pull cord 33 and closes a switch 34. Thiscloses a holding relay switch 35. The relay switch 35 will deliver electrical energy into the solenoids 36 of the electro-magnetic valves 29 and 30. This will move them to the position shown in Figure 7, causing the piston rod 24 to move the movable bottom M with its stack of veneer 37 to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2. When the piston rod 24 reaches the end of its travel it will come to a stop against the end of the cylinder 22 where it will remain.

When the movable bottom M reaches its extended or delivery position, the lift truck T is moved forward to the full line position, with its forks '38 entering the channel ways 20 of the platform 17 under the stack of veneer 37. The veneer stack 37 will then be raised from the platform 17 by the lift truck T ready to be delivered to its destination.

The operator of the truck T then reaches upward and pulls the pull cord 39, which will open the switch 40 which will release the holding relay 35, demagnetizing the solenoids 36 of the valves 29 and 30, allowing them to return to the position shown in Figure 6 under the control of a conventional return mechanism contained within the valves themselves, and not here shown. Fluid pressure will retract the piston rod 24, pulling the movable bottom M to the position shown.

Referring particularly to Figure 4, the bro-ken line position of the veneer V indicated by numeral 41 illustrates a piece of veneer V that has become jammed preventing the same from dropping down upon the pile of veneer 37A. In this event one of the operators stationed along the conveyor C presses an electric button or switch 46, referring to Figure 6, which closes a holding relay 43 which will energize the solenoids 36 opening the valves as shown in Figure 7. This will move the movable bottom M to the broken line position indicated by numeral 44, allowing the lodged veneer V indicated by broken lines 41 to drop down on to the material pile 37A. A limit switch 45 is positioned within the path of the movable bottom M and this limit switch 45 controls the amount that the bottom M will move outwardly, as for instance to the broken line 44.

On the opening of the limit switch 45, the solenoid 43 of the relay 43 will deenergize the solenoids 36 of the electro-magnetic valves 29 and 30 allowing them to return the movable bottom M to its loading position. In the event the operator wishes to move the movable bottom M further than the broken line position 44, he can do so by continuing to hold the switch 46 closed, which by-passes the limit switch 45 in its operation.

The mode of operation of this new and improved device for sorting veneer will now be described. Veneer sheets V of various grades are moved from a veneer lathe, not here shown, by the conveyor C past the bins B and their feed rollers 13. There will be operators or attendants along the conveyor belt observing the veneer V. The operator grasps the veneer sheet V in question and enters it between the feed rollers of one of the bins B which corresponds to the grade of material he is feeding into the same.

The rollers 13 will feed the sheet of veneer V into the bin B and on to the movable platform 17 or on to the stack of material 37 and as stated above, if any of the veneer sheets V become lodged, he can momentarily press the button 46 corresponding to the particular bin B in question, moving the movable bottom M outwardly either to the destination controlled by the limit switch 45 or further if he desires, which will release any veneer sheet V that might become lodged at an angle or does not drop down on the pile of stock 37.

When the operator of the lift truck T appears on the scene he selects the bin B of stock that he desires to move to its destination. He moves the truck T parallel to the line of bins B and up to and short of the bin B to be unloaded. He reaches up and pulls the cord 33 which closes the switch 34, referring to Figure 6, closing the holding relay 35 which will energize the solenoids 36, moving the valves 29 and 30 to the position shown in Figure 7 so that fluid pressure will be delivered from the main supply line 27 through the line 28 into the line 31, through the valve 29 into the end of the cylinder 22 moving the piston rod 24.

At the same time the valve 30 is moved to the position shown in Figure 7 where it will exhaust the fluid pressure out of the opposite end of the cylinder 22 into the atmosphere. This will cause the piston rod 24 to move the movable bottom B and its load of stock 37 to the delivery position shown in Figures 1 and 2. The truck driver then drives his lift truck T forward so that the lift forks 38 will enter the channelways 20 of the platform 17 under the stack of material 37. He then lifts this material 37 upwardly from the movable bottom M, then by pulling the control cord 39 above his head, he will open the switch 40, which will open the holding relay 35, which in turn deenergizes the solenoids 36, permitting the electric valves 29 and 30 to move to the position shown in Figure 6, at which time the pressure fluid will be exhausted from within the cylinder 22 through the valve 29 to the atmosphere, and pressure fluid will enter into the cylinder 22 so as to move the piston rod 24 to the left, as viewed in Figure 6, pulling the movable bottom M back into the bin B to the position shown in Figures 1 and 4, ready for loading.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a veneer sorting system including a longitudinally extending endless veneer conveyor, a plurality of parallel bins arranged along one side of said conveyor and extending perpendicularly thereto, said bins each having spaced parallel upstanding veneer edge guiding side walls extending perpendicularly to said conveyor, an end wall arranged perpendicularly to and connecting said side walls at the end thereof adjacent the conveyor, a sloping guide plate integrally formed on the upper end of said end wall, a pair of vertically aligned feed rollers having their opposite ends journalled in said side walls, said feed rollers being arranged in the upper portion of said bin adjacent said conveyor in position to feed veneer from said conveyor over said end wall into said bin, a pair of rails in said bin and extending outwardly therefrom parallel to said side walls, a truck mounted on said rails including a horizontal platform, a movable end wall fixed to said platform at the end thereof opposite said first named end wall and extending perpendicularly upwardly from said platform, said movable end wall closing said bin at the end opposite said conveyor when said truck is positioned within said bin, and hydraulic means in each of said bins for moving said truck longitudinally with respect to said bin to move material collected in said bin out of said bin.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said platform is provided with lift truck fork pockets to permit the engagement of a lift truck fork with the stack of veneer on said platform.

Graf et al. Oct. 15, 1935 Junco Nov. 9, 1954 

